Curtain-releasing attachment for car-vestibules.



0. SWANSON.

I CURTAIN RELEASING ATTACHMENT FOR GAR VESIIBUL ES.

APPLICATION FILED 00'1.'7, 1905.

Patented July 19, 1910.

mums-sum 1.

O. SWANSON.

CURTAIN RELEASING ATTACHMENT r011 QAR VESTIBULES.

APPLIOA'IION FILED 001'. 7, 1909.

Patented July 19, 1910.

M. W w

witness-co OLOF SWANSON, OF LA JUNTA, COLORADO.

CURTAIN-RELEASING ATTACHMENT FOR CAR-VESTIBULES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 19, 1910'.

Application filed October 7, 1909. Serial No. 521,613.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Own SwANsoN, a cit-izen of the United States, residing at La Junta, county of Otero, and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Curtain-Releasing Attachments for Car-Vestibules; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will e11- able others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference i'narked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to attachments for car vestibules, -whereby the curtain, which conceals the bellows and rigid plates of the two cars, may be automatically released when the cars are separated.

The object of this invention is to prevent the possible tearing of the curtain or injury thereto by reason of the separation of the cars, either by accident or design, while the curtain is still connected.

In constructions of this class a spring roller is mounted on oneof the vestibule stanchions, and when the cars are connected, one extremity of this curtain is connected with the opposite stanchion of the opposite car on each side of the vestibule passageway between the two cars.

In my improved construction, I mount a spring-held hook, on one of the stanchions and connect a strap, or other suitable flexible device with one of the stanchions, while its opposite extremity is connected with one prong of the spring-held hook, while the extremity of the curtain remote from the spring roller is connected with the other prong of the said hook. The spring which holds this double pronged hook is of greater strength than the spring of the curtain roller, whereby it normally holds the hook in such a position that the curtain is prop erly connected for concealing the arch plates and the bellows connections between the said plates and the stanchions of the two cars.

Having briefly outlined my improved construction, I will proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In this drawing: Figure 1 is a perspective view showing one side of the vestibule of two cars, the curtain being shown in place partly broken away to disclose the bellows members. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary View of the curtain and the releasing attachment showing both members connected with the double pronged hook, the parts being shown on a larger scale. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken through the vestibule mechanism on one side of the passageway through the vestibule showing the curtain and releasing device connected with the spring-held hook, but on a smaller scale than in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken through the stanchion upon which the pronged hook is mounted, the curtain and releasing device being shown in their connected and on a larger scale than in Fig. 3, but on approximately the same scale as in Fig. 2.

his View may be termed a section on the line Ml, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a similar View with the spring-held hook in a difierent position or just ready to release the curtain. Fig. 6 is a section illustrating an attachment with which the curtain and releasing device may be connected on cars not equipped with my improvement. In other words, this is oneof the well known attachments for vestibule cars heretofore in use.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate the stanchions which form the door posts or jambs of the end doorway of the vestibule, the arch plates being designated by the numeral 6 and the bellows connections between the arch plates and the stanchions by the nu meral 7. One of these stanchions is provided with a spring roller 8, located in a recess 9 and vertically disposed. The recess 9 is open on one side to allow the curtain 10 to pass out, the stanchion being equipped with a small antifriction roller 12, to prevent undue wear upon the curtain. Also con nected with the same stanchion where the roller is located, is one extremity of a nonstretchable, flexible device 13, which may be a leather strap, though any other suitable material having the requisite strength may be employed. This strap has one extremity secured to the stanchion, as shown at 1 1-, while its other extremity is provided with a loop 15, having a 'roller handle 16, adapted to engage one prong 17, of the double-pronged hook 18, which is pivoted at 19, upon the stanchion of the other car. This hook is a lever-like device and has an arm 20 projecting into a recess 21,

relation use formed in the stanchion. Connected with the inner extremity of this arm is one end of a spiral spring 22, whose opposite end is connected with the stanchion, as shown at 23. The stanchion where the recess 21 is located is equipped with an escuteheon plate 24, which is slotted, as shown at 25, to allow the hook the necessary freedom of movement. This plate, however, at one end of the slot forms a stop against which a shoulder 26, of the hook bears, whereby the hook is maintained in the proper position for holding the curtain and releasing device.

The free extremity of the curtain 10, is equipped with a vertically-disposed rod 27, to which is attached a metal loop 28, having a roller handle 29, which engages the prong 17 A of the lever-like hook.

WVhen the two cars are coupled and ready for use, the strap and the curtain are both connected with the hook. The strap 13 should be sufticiently loose to permit the necessary movement between the two cars or that permitted by the vestibule member 7 As the strap is shown taut in Fig. 8, it may be assumed that the two cars are at the maximum distance apart, or as this is a plan view, it may be assumed that the strap is sagging downwardly.

The strap or releasing device 13 is equipped with an auxiliary hook 30, which is pivotally connected with the strap, as shown at 31. In case my improved releasing device is connected with one car and the other car is not equipped with the double pronged hook, a hook 32, of ordinary construction (see Fig. 6) and with which it is assumed the car is equipped, may be utilized to retain the loop 28 of the curtain, while the auxiliary hook is turned to connect with the curtain pole or rod 27, (see Fig. 6). In this case it may be assumed that the strap or other releasing device is given a part turn or twist, to permit the convenient connection of the hook 30 with the curtain pole.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. The combination with two vestibuled cars and a vestibule curtain, of a doublepronged spring-retained curtain catch carried by one of the cars, one of the prongs being adapted to hold the curtain, and a flexible device connected at one extremity with one of the cars, while its opposite extremity is connected with the other prong of the hook.

2. The combination with the car vestibules, a curtain and a spring with which one extremity of the curtain is connected, of a spring-retained, double-pronged hook conthe other car, one prong of the hook being adapted to be connected with the curtain and a non-stretchable, flexible device having one extremity connected with one car, while the other extremity is connected with the said hook, for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination with the vestibule members of two cars, a spring roller mounted on the stanchion of one car, of a springretained, double-pronged hook mounted on the stanchion of the other car, the free extremity of the curtain being adapted to be connected with one prong of the hook, and aflexible device secured at one extremity to the stanchion of one car, while its opposite extremity is connected with the other prong of the said hook, the connection of the curtain and flexible device with the hook being such that as the cars separate, the said connections will be readily released from the hook.

4t. The combination with the vestibule members of two cars, a curtain and a spring roller with which one extremity of the curtain is connected, the said roller being vertically-disposed on the stanchion of one of the cars, and a spring-retained, double-pronged hook mounted on the stanchion ot' the other car, the spring of the hook being of greater strength than the spring of the roller, and a non-stretchable, flexible device secured at one extremity to the curtain roller stanchion, while its other extremity is adapted to be connected with the other prong ot' the hook, the connections of the curtain and the flexible device with the hook being readily releasable as the hook is actuated during the separation of the cars, substantially as described.

5. The combination with the vestibule members of two cars, a spring curtain roller mounted on a stanchion of one car, a curtain connected at one extremity with the said roller, :1 flexible, releasing device connected at one extremity with the spring roller stanchion, a springretained, doublepronged hook mounted on the stanchion of the other car, and means attached to the curtain and the releasing device, whereby the two members may be releasably connected with the double-pronged hook, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OLGF SlVANSON.

nected with Witnesses F. M. CARLISLE, S. W. BROWN. 

